Norm Macdonald MLA                                         Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

August 21, 2009

Interior Health Authority set to cut medically necessary surgeries

Interior Health Authority (IHA) Chief Executive Officer Murray Ramsden confirmed Thursday that IHA would be reducing the number of critical surgical procedures to deal with its funding shortfall.  This following the admission of Andrew Neuner, IHA’s Chief Operating Officer for the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap area, that medically necessary surgeries will be cut by 10 percent compared to last year.

“Our health system is already under tremendous pressure and patients were already being forced to wait longer and travel further for necessary care,” declared the MLA for Columbia River – Revelstoke Norm Macdonald.

“This further cut could, by conservative estimate, result in 5000 fewer surgeries in this health region between now and March 2010.”

Ramsden disclosed that this health region is facing a $40 million shortfall.  The health authority must reduce the clinical budget by $12 million while cutting $28 million in administrative costs.

Interior Health patients are expected to receive fewer hip and knee replacements, cataract surgeries, hernia repairs and carpal tunnel procedures.

“We’ve been promised health care when and where we need it,” said Macdonald.  “During the last election, Premier Campbell promised that there would not be cuts to health care.

“Clearly, there was no intention on behalf of this government to keep that promise and rural residents are going to feel the effects of the Premier’s duplicity most strongly.”